By McLeod Brown
Sports@StarNewsOnline.com
Ryan Mantlo had enough motivation before the game.
The Cape Fear Community College men's basketball coach has guided his team through its share of ups and downs this year.
They were ranked No. 9 in the country in the preseason by Sporting News, but dropped five of six games spanning into the beginning of December.
Friday's contest against bitter rival Brunswick Community College proved the Sea Devils are hitting their stride as the regular season winds down.
CFCC cruised to a 91-62 win for their fifth straight victory. The victory gave the Sea Devils their first sweep of BCC since the 2010 season.
Freshman TJ Evans scored a game-high 19 points to pace the Sea Devils, with sophomore Aaron Thomas adding 15 points.
Fellow sophomore Anthony Vanhook, who entered the game in the top 15 nationally in scoring and rebounding, finished with 14 points and nine boards.
"I just think we're really starting to understand valuing each possession and we're buying into the defensive end of the game," Mantlo said. "We gave up 61 last game in a tough road game and 62 tonight. If we continue to do that, the sky is the limit."
CFCC led by as many as 20 in the first half on its way to holding a 43-25 advantage at the break.
They only padded that lead in the second frame, forcing 24 Dolphins turnovers while holding them to 22-for-71 shooting.
Sophomore Taylor Buffkin paced BCC with 15 points, with JacQues Chambers adding 11 in the team's fifth straight loss.
"They're a good team, an experienced team, and they're championship ready," said BCC coach Walter Shaw. "We've been struggling, we haven't been good since Christmas. They got some really good pieces that can play inside-out. "
In the Sea Devils' 79-70 victory over the Dolphins on Jan. 19, CFCC built a halftime lead before watching it slip away in a close battle. The Sea Devils' players were sure not to watch that happen again.
"We needed to come out and play the gaps, play with intensity on the defensive end," Thomas said. "In practice this week, everyone stepped up. Day by day we got better and this is a big game for us so we came out with a little chip on our shoulder."
CFCC has three straight home games to close out the regular season, beginning with USC Salkehatchie next Friday.
BCC also closes its regular season with a three-game homestand, beginning Sunday against Denmark Technical College.